Impulse mechanism



' June 9, 1942. J. A. KATE-JR IMPULSE MECHANISM Filed Dec. '20, 1940 iU DilllulllU 3"--L lNl/E'NTOR J A. KATE ATTORNEY Patented nus 9.194 2 IMPULSE MECHANISM Joseph A. Kater, Chatham, N. 1., alsignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 20, i940, Serial No. 370,939

4- Claims. (Cl. 179-18) This invention relates to'impulse mechanisms and particularly to impulse operated switches, such as 'those used in automatic telephone systems.

An object of the invention is .to provide cir cuit arrangements for controlling theoperations of impulse mechanisms which are faster, more reliable, more positive in operation, and more accurately responsive to the operating impulses.

Heretoi'ore circuit arrangements have been used for operating step-by-step mechanisms in response to signaling impulses, for example, selector switches, and pulsing circuits therefore have been used in which a pulsing relay is responsive to dial pulses to close a circuit for actuating a stepping magnet to operate the switch one step for each impulse received. In such systom the operation and release periods of the pulsing relays may vary and cause corresponding yariations in the functioning of the stepping magnets.

It is a feature of the present invention to improve said functions by providing a pulsing circuit arrangement in which the stepping magnet acts quickly after energization of the pulsing relay to permit the response thereof to impulses received at a fast rate and regardless of the variation in the operating and release characteristics of the pulsing relay. The arrangement consists of a circuit closed by an auxiliary relay through self-interrupting contacts of the stepping magnet and the winding thereof to preenergize the stepping m'agnet so that it will pull up quickly, said circuit being opened on the energization of the magnet by the pulsing relay toremove the preenergization and permit the magnet to release at the normal rate.

The invention has been illustrated in the ac- I companying drawing in which an automatic telephone system has been shown with a selector circuit arrangement shown in detail to illustrate theapplication of the invention to selector circuits.

Referring now to this drawing, an automatic system is disclosed diagrammatically with the selector circuit to which the applicants invention has been applied shown in detail. In this system a connection may be established from a calling subscribers station I to a called subscribers station 2 in any well-known manner over a line finder 3 and the connector I and in accordance with the invention through a selector S. If it is assumed that the connection has been established through a line finder 3, the closure of this connection causes pulsing relay 5 to operate over a circuit from battery through the upper winding 0! relay 5, contacts of relay 8, over the subscriber's. loop through the line finder 3, contacts of relay 6, lower winding of relay 5, contacts oi the eleventh step off-normal contacts I, coil 9 to ground. C011 0 is associated through a coil Ill with a dial tone source so as to indicate to the subscriber at station I that he may begin dialing when he receives a tone from this source. Relay 5, in operating, closes a circuit for relay l I from battery through the winding of this relay, contacts of relays 5 and 6 to ground.

When the subscriber receives the dial tone and begins dialing, the pulsing relay 5 will respond by releasing for each impulse, while relay II will remain operated during the pulsing. It should be noted that on the operation of relay II a circuit is completed for preenergizing the winding of the vertical magnet I! from battery through the winding of this magnet, its armature and back contact, resistance H, contacts of relays II and ii to ground. Resistance It may be of such character as to permit the winding of the vertical magnet F2 to receive a certain amount of preenergization but not sumcient to cause it to operate. 7 On the firstrelease of the pulsing relay 5 in response to the first digit a. circuit will now becompleted for this vertical magnet to completely energize it to step the selector switch one step. This circuit may be traced from battery through the winding oi. the vertical magnet l2, winding of relay l6 and contacts of relays ll, 5 and 8 to ground. Th operation of the magnet i2 opens the previously traced preenergizing circuit and the magnet is now held solely by the energizing circuit as traced above. Relay it which is included in this circuit will also operate and as it is slow to release it will be maintained operated during the pulsing. When this first impulse ceases, that is whenrelay 5 again operates, the energizing circuit for magnet I2 is opened at the armature and back contacts of this relay and the magnet releases. The preenergizing circuit is new again closed, through the armature and back contact of this magnet to preenergize it for the reception of the next impulse. Therefore on each impulse received by the vertical magnet l2, a certain amount of preenergization is always present to permit it to respond quickly to impulses received from the calling subscriber. Thus the impulses as received by the operation and release or the pulsing relay 5 may vary considerably in relation to the open and closed periods of the armature with its front and back contacts, and the impulses may be received from the calling subscriber at a much faster rate than was hereinbefore possible due to this preenergizing of the magnet.

When the first series of impulses ceases, the relay I8 will release and a circuit will be completed for the operation of the rotary magnet 'I'I due to the energization of relay I8 afterthe first vertical step oi the switch at which time the circult through the vertical off-normal contact I8 was closed, the circuit for relay I8 being traced from battery through the winding of this relay, vertical oft-normal contacts I 9, contacts of relays I6 and II to ground and a locking circuit for this relay was closed from battery, winding of relay I8, vertical ofi-normal contacts I9, contacts of rotary magnet I1, and contacts of relays I8 and 6 to ground. Therefore the circuit for the rotary magnet may now be traced from battery through the winding of this magnet, contacts of relay I8 and, the now closed make-before-break contacts of relay I6 through contacts of relay II to ground. This first operation of the rotary magnet I! will advance the brushes 20 of the selector circuit to land on the set of terminals leading to the first connector. If this connector is idle, it will be noted'that the rotary magnet will not take any additional stepsbut will release due to the fact that relay I8 will release on the operation of the rotary magnet I! as the locking circuit for relay I8 is now opened as the armature and back contact of this magnet H. on the the reoperation of relay I8 from battery through the winding of this relay, vertical off-normal contact I9, armature and back contact of magnet I'I, contacts of relay 6, the sleeve brush of selec tor S and the sleeve terminal of the first busy connector to ground. Relay I8 in reoperating again closes a circuit for the operation of the rotary magnet I! to take another step to advance the brushes of selector S to the next connector circuit. These operations and release of the rotary magnet I1 and relay I8 will continue untilan idle connector is found.

When this condition prevails there will be no ground on the sleeve terminal of the idle connection circuit and consequently ground on the sleeve from the line finder will cause the operation of relay 6 from battery through the winding of relay I8, vertical off-normal contacts I9,

conductors through its outer armatures and front contacts to the brushes 0! 'the selector 5 to extend..the connection to the relays, and 6 to ground, thus releasing the selector to normal and the associated connector.

What is claimed is: Y 1. In an impulse mechanism, an impulse relay, an auxiliary relay, an operating magnet, means for actuating said auxiliary relay in response to the operation of the impulse relay, a circuit for partially energizing said magnet in response to the operation of said'auxiliary relay, means for fully energizing said magnet to operate in response to the release ofthe impulse relay andthe operation of the auxiliary relay, and means for opening said circuit in response to the operation of said magnet.

2. In an impulse mechanism; a step-by-step device, an operating magnet therefor, an im-, pulse receiving relay and an auxiliaryrelay, a circuit for operating said auxiliary relay in re- 'sponse to the operation of said impulse receiving relay, a circuit for partially energizing said operating magnet in response to the operation of said auxiliary relay, a circuit for fully energizing said magnet in response to the release of said impulse receiving relay and operation of said auxiliary relay, and contacts controlled by the operation of said magnet for opening said second circuit.

3. In a control system, an impulse relay, an operating magnet, and means responsive to the operation and release of the impulse relay for operating said magnet, a circuit ,for partially.

energizing said magnet-prior to each operation thereof operative on the operation of said relay, and contacts operated on the operation of said magnet for opening said circuit- 4. In an impulse mechanism a step-by-step device, a stepping magnet for said device, an impulse receiving relay, an auxiliary relay, a circuit for operating said auxiliary relay in response to the operation of said impulse receiving relay a armature and back contact of the rotary magnet line flnder.- Relay 6, as stated, will operate over this circuit but the resistance of the winding of .relay I8 is such that this latter relay will not circuit for partially energizing said stepping magnet, including contacts controlled by said stepping magnet, said last-mentioned circuit being operative in response to the operation of said auxiliary relay, a circuit for fully energizing said stepping magnet including contacts of said auxiliary relay and operative in response to the operative 0n the full release of the stepping magnet to close s'ald circuit.

JOSEPH A. KATER.

upper and lower 

